In 2024 the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) marked the Association’s 120th year of operation.
But while the organisation recognises the strength of its long history, it has its eyes firmly on the future of the HVAC sector – as shown by the content of this year’s BESA Annual Conference.
The two key underlying themes for the day were achieving net zero in the built environment and the impact of the Building Safety Act.
Both present challenges for the construction industry as well as opportunities for growth and more effective working practices
Anyone doubting the need for a Building Safety Act would have changed their mind by the end of his report
Karen Fletcher Editor of The SectorScope
More to do
Net zero has been widely discussed, and many contractors are already involved in projects aiming for targets such as BREEAM, NABERS, low-EPC ratings – or all of them.
However, many at the conference felt that there is more to do here, particularly in terms of action and direction from the government.
Over the last five years, there have been numerous consultations, for example around the Future Buildings and Future Homes Standards.
However, these came to a halt even before the recent election, leaving the industry waiting for new regulations.
As Chris Newman, Mitsubishi Electric’s Net Zero Carbon Design manager noted: “There are some great ideas in the consultations we’ve seen, but we seem to have difficulty implementing them.”
Embracing heat pumps
Despite this issue, contractors have been embracing new technologies such as heat pumps and preparing with training courses to help them deliver low carbon solutions. But Net Zero buildings can only be successfully delivered when the whole construction team pulls together.
CIBSE’s Technical Director, Anastasia Mylona highlighted the importance of breaking down silos in the industry to achieve better building performance: “We need engineers who learn about buildings holistically.”
Related to lower-carbon buildings is the rise of low-GWP refrigerants which is already impacting the work of HVAC installers. Conference speakers were asked if the rise of flammable refrigerants such as R290 would slow the industry.
The answer is that, while there are certification mechanisms to be put in place, in general there is a sense that refrigerants such as R290 are well within the capability of the industry to embrace and apply safely.
In fact, as Mitsubishi Electric’s Head of Sustainability Martin Fahey noted, R290 is not a ‘new’ refrigerant at all and has been used safely for decades.
A place for AI
Although not directly related to low-carbon buildings, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) was addressed at the BESA Conference. Conference delegates indicated that some businesses are using elements of AI, but not everyone has found a place for it in their organisations - yet.
However, it’s clear that AI’s ability to process large amounts of data quickly and to allow users to interrogate large databases easily will deliver some amazing results both in terms of design and in managing buildings for long-term energy efficiency and reduced operational carbon,
And continuing with the theme of future IT tools, Mitsubishi Electric’s training team were demonstrating their Virtual Reality training tools – showing how ‘hands on’ experience with equipment can be delivered in a classroom. By allowing contractors to get to grips with tools virtually, the training of the future can be truly interactive and impactful.
Safety in Buildings
Turning to the Building Safety Act (BSA), its practical impacts are less straightforward to predict.
Award-winning author and journalist Peter Apps gave an insightful and emotional opening address on the Grenfell tragedy, describing some of the scenes that he observed during the ensuing enquiry. If anyone was in any doubt about the need for a Building Safety Act before hearing his report, then they would surely have changed their mind by the end.
But although everyone is aware of the Act, there is a lot of ground to cover before the industry is confident about how to put its requirements into action. For example, proving ‘competence’ is an area which is leaving many people wondering how that might be practically achieved across the entire construction sector.
BESA has been highly active in helping members understand the BSA, including the all-importance area of competence. However, as one speaker highlighted not all contractors are aware of what’s going to be asked of them from early in 2025 in terms of demonstrating competence to work on site.
The Building Safety Act and net zero have one important consideration in common. Both will require more collaborative and open working practices.
Technology can certainly support this with rapid data gathering and analysis, but in the end the industry must make a significant cultural change.
Karen Fletcher is editor of The SectorScope
